Gettysburg Area Gamers

After an absolutely delightful day of tramping Antietam with long-time SHAF member Tom Shay and battlefield guide and musician extraordinaire Stephen Recker and several other friends and acquaintances, I drove back to Pennsylvania on nearly vacant roads in time to wargame last night at the home of a friend of mine in York, Bob Johnson.

We played a 22mm American Revolution game using vintage Airfix HO scale AWI figures (they brought back memories!). Due to folks being busy with Black Friday and thickening their credit card bills, as well as people being out of town, the only participants were the GM Bob and my opponent, veteran gamer Bill Molyaneaux of the Gettysburg Area Gamers. So, the wargame devolved to the head of the Gettysburg gamers versus the head of the Johnny Reb Gaming Society. One on one. Mano a mano. May the best man (well, the best die roller, at least) win!

My British cavalry chased off a flank attack and wrecked Bill’s Continental cavalry, and for a while, it appeared the Brits and their Tory allies would rule the day. However, an ill-advised charge by their Germanic friends from Hesse was repulsed, and the fight on the left flank stalemated. On the right, my British Light Infantry pushed back a line of American militia, but reinforcements swelled the Continentals’ ranks, and they destroyed the attackers. I conceded, with nothing left to push forward any attacks. Bill had prevailed, and my surviving Brits slunk back to our ships and sailed off for New York City and easier pickings the next time.

Bill’s group over in Gettysburg has a website with photos of their “beer and pretzels” games. They meet once a week. Check out their website. One of their members, John Zabawa, runs a very nice miniatures and toy soldiers store in Gettysburg on Steinwehr Avenue, Gettysburg Miniature Soldiers. Why not stop by the next time you are visiting the battlefield and tell John the Johnny Reb Gaming Society sent you!